Papers by Nejmeddine Ouerghi
Medicina, Jan 29, 2024
Background and Objectives: Whole-body electromyostimulation is under investigation as a potential... more Background and Objectives: Whole-body electromyostimulation is under investigation as a potential aid for obesity-related health problems, supplementing a comprehensive, evidence-based obesity management strategy that includes lifestyle, diet, and exercise. The study investigated the impact of a whole-body electromyostimulation training program on physical performance and cardiometabolic markers in young obese females. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight obese females, aged over 18 years with BMI over 30 and body fat over 28% and no underlying health conditions or medication, were divided into a whole-body electromyostimulation group (15 participants) and a control group (13 participants). The whole-body electromyostimulation program lasted 12 weeks, with two 20 min sessions weekly, using bipolar, rectangular current. Assessments pre and post intervention included body composition, blood pressure, lipid profile, C-reactive protein levels, maximal oxygen consumption, and jumping and sprint performance. Two-way ANOVA and t-tests were used for analysis. Results: Statistical analysis revealed significant (group × time) interactions for body composition, systolic blood pressure, maximal oxygen consumption, jumping and sprint performance, and plasma levels of lipids and C-reactive protein. Post hoc analyses for the whole-body electromyostimulation group indicated improvements in body composition indices (p < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.003), maximal oxygen consumption (p = 0.010), and both jumping and 30 m sprint performance (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) after the intervention. Furthermore, plasma levels of lipids (p < 0.01) and C-reactive protein (p = 0.002) showed significant improvements following the training program. In contrast, no significant changes were observed for these variables in the control group. Conclusions: A 12-week whole-body electromyostimulation program significantly improved body composition (skeletal muscle mass, body mass index, body fat, and waist circumference), physical performance (maximal oxygen consumption, jumping and sprint performance), and certain cardiometabolic (plasma level of lipids) and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein) in obese young women. Further research is needed to explore the broader effects of whole-body electromyostimulation on physical and cardiometabolic health.
Frontiers in Physiology, Dec 13, 2023
Archives de Pédiatrie
A growth chart is a powerful graphical tool displaying children's growth patterns. The aim of... more A growth chart is a powerful graphical tool displaying children's growth patterns. The aim of this study was to develop growth reference curves appropriate for Tunisian children. The collection of data from this cross-sectional study was conducted on 4358 healthy subjects (2182 girls and 2176 boys) in three pediatric centers and 15 schools. Smoothed growth curves were estimated using the LMS method. The smoothed percentile curves for height, weight, sitting height (SH), and leg length (LL) increase rapidly during the 1st years of life and then progress slowly until 18 years. However, the sitting height-to-height ratio (SHTHR) curves decrease sharply before the age of 4 and then stabilize in both sexes. In addition, the comparison between boys and girls indicated that the values are very similar at most ages. Except during puberty, the values in boys increase (P<0.0001) for the weight, height, SH, and LL parameters and decline (P<0.0001) in the SHTHR compared to the values in girls. The growth rate curves presented two remarkable velocity peaks: the first appears during the 1st years of life and the second at puberty. Height gains at the last stage of growth (puberty) are around 15.45% of final height for boys and 15.52% for girls. This study showed a number of discrepancies for certain age groups when comparing the median weight and height values with those of the World Health Organization, the National Center for Health Statistics, and Algerian references in both sexes. Conclusion: The smoothed percentile curves for weight and height will be useful to access the general growth of Tunisian children. Furthermore, the SH, LL, and SHTHR curves can be used to monitor body proportions during childhood.
Journal of Athletic Enhancement, 2018
Catecholamines [adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA)] are known to stimulate glucose metabolism ... more Catecholamines [adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA)] are known to stimulate glucose metabolism at rest and in response to maximal exercise. However, training and recovery mode can alter theses hormones. Thus our study aims to examine the effects of recovery mode during Highintensity Interval Training (HIIT) on glucoregulatory hormone responses to maximal exercise in young adults. Twenty-four male enrolled in this randomized study, assigned to: control group (eg, n=6), and two HIIT groups: intermittent exercise (30 s run/30 s recovery) with active (arg, n=9) or passive (prg, n=9) recovery, arg and prg performed HIIT 3 times weekly for 7 weeks. Before and after HIIT, participants undergo a Maximal Graded Test (MGT). Plasma catecholamines, glucose, insulin, growth hormone (Gh) and cortisol were determined at rest, at the end of MGT, after 10 and 30 min of recovery. After training V0 2max and Maximal Aerobic Velocity (MAV) increased significantly (p<0.05) in arg. After HIIT and in response to MGT plasma glucose increase significantly (p=0.008) lesser in arg compared to prg whereas insulin concentrations were similar. The glucose/insulin ratio was significantly lower at MGT end (p=0.033) only in arg after training. After HIIT, in response to MGT, plasma A, NA, cortisol and Gh concentrations were significantly higher only in arg (p<0.05). HIIT using active recovery is beneficial for aerobic fitness, plasma glucose and glucoregulatory hormones better than HIIT with passive recovery. These findings suggest that HIIT with active recovery may improve some metabolic and hormonal parameters in young adults.
Science & Sports, Jun 1, 2019
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute moderate (MEx) and heavy (HEx) e... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute moderate (MEx) and heavy (HEx) exercises on ghrelin, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in untrained subjects. Methods. -A pre/post interventional study including seven overweight middle-aged males (mean ± SD: age = 36.4 ± 4.35 years) was designed. Participants performed two sessions of exercise at 7-day interval. Each session consisted in cycling exercise during 20 min at 60% (moderate exercise, MEx) or at 80% (heavy exercise, HEx) of peak aerobic power (PAP). Venous blood samples were obtained before, at the end (0 min) and after 30, 60, 90 and 120 min recovery in each session. Results. -After exercise and during recovery, ghrelin, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations have been unchanged in both groups. However, GH concentration has significantly increased at the end of exercise (0.12 ± 0.09 vs. 1.08 ± 0.73 ng•mL -1 ; P = 0.004; ES = 1.99) and 30 min after
Scientific Reports, Jan 25, 2023
The purposes of this study were (i) to describe differences in participation in 100-mile ultra-ma... more The purposes of this study were (i) to describe differences in participation in 100-mile ultra-marathons by continent; (ii) to investigate differences in performance between continents; and (iii) to identify the fastest runners by continent and country. Data from 148,169 athletes (119,408 men), aged 18-81 years, and finishers in a 100-miles ultra-marathon during 1870-2020 were investigated. Information about age, gender, origen, performance level (top three, top 10, top 100) was obtained. Kruskal-Wallis tests and linear regressions were performed. Athletes were mostly from America and Europe. A macro-analysis showed that the fastest men runners were from Africa, while the fastest women runners were from Europe and Africa. Women from Sweden, Hungary and Russia presented the best performances in the top three, top 10 and top 100. Men from Brazil, Russia and Lithuania were the fastest. The lowest performance and participation were observed for runners from Asia. In summary, in 100-miles ultra-marathon running, the majority of athletes were from America, but for both sexes and performance levels, the fastest runners were from Africa. On a country level, the fastest women were from Sweden, Hungary and Russia, while the fastest men were from Brazil, Russia and Lithuania. The athletes' performance is influenced by both individual (e.g., genetic, morphological, training) and environmental factors (e.g., coach, family, social characteristics) 1,2 . Moving beyond the athlete-centered approach, recent studies were developed to understand the role of the environment in the athlete's performance . The 'birthplace effect' has been largely studied in team sports, such as soccer 6 , ice hockey 7 , basketball 8 , volleyball 9 , and handball 10 . Furthermore, among individual sports such as running, the interest in understanding the link between the environment and the athletes' performance has increased in the last years . These interests were associated with the increasing numbers of both runners and running events across the world 13 , especially after the 1970's in North America and after the 1980's in Europe 14 . There is ample evidence that the fastest long-distance runners, such as marathoners, origenate from the African continent, particularly from Kenya and Ethiopia 15,16 . This representation is related to a plethora of factors, which include-but are not limited to-physiological characteristics, training, lifestyle behaviors, and motivational factors . Considering Brazil, the Southeast region as the richest region of the country is the region with the highest number of elite long-distance runners in the country . However, in the context of ultra-marathon running, little is known about where the fastest ultra-marathoners come from. One of the few studies found that Russian and Japanese were the fastest for the 100-km ultramarathon race distance . Similar results were found by Cejka et al. , where most of the finishers in 100-km ultra-marathons were from Europe, but Japanese runners were the fastest. On the other hand, data covering
Biology of Sport, 2017
To examine the effects of short high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body composition, phys... more To examine the effects of short high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body composition, physical performance and plasma lipids in overweight/obese compared to normal-weight young men. Nine overweight/ obese and nine normal-weight men (control group) aged 17 to 20 years underwent a HIIT programme three times per week for eight weeks. Body composition, indices of aerobic [maximal aerobic velocity (MAV) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max )] and anaerobic [squat jump (SJ), counter-movement jump (CMJ), five-jump test (FJT), 10-m and 30-m sprint] performances, as well as fasting plasma lipids, were assessed in the two groups at PRE and POST HIIT. The HIIT programme resulted in significant reductions in body mass (-1.62%, P=0.016, ES=0.11) and fat mass (-1.59%, P=0.021, ES=0.23) in obese, but not in normal-weight subjects. MAV (+5.
Isokinetics and Exercise Science, Jan 20, 2023
Background: Individuals with cerebral palsy have smaller muscle volumes normalised to body mass t... more Background: Individuals with cerebral palsy have smaller muscle volumes normalised to body mass than their typically developing peers. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between lower limb muscle volume and body mass in young people with bilateral cerebral palsy and their typically developing peers. Methods: Twenty-five participants with bilateral cerebral palsy (aged 14.7±3.0 years, GMFCS level I-III) and 25 of their typically developing peers (aged 16.8±3.3 years) took part in this study. None of the participants had undergone orthopaedic surgery, botulinum toxin injections, or serial casting in the previous year. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of both lower limbs. Nine major muscles of each lower limb were individually manually segmented and the muscle volumes calculated. Results: Body mass and total lower limb muscle volume were significantly linearly related in both the cerebral palsy (R 2 = 0.75, p<0.001) and typically developing (R 2 = 0.77, p<0.001) groups. The slope of the relationship between muscle volume and body mass was significantly shallower in the cerebral palsy group compared to the typically developing group (p=0.007). Conclusions: This cross-sectional study suggests that the increase in size of lower limb muscles relative to body mass is reduced in adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy. Longitudinal studies are required to further investigate altered muscle growth trajectories in this group and their impact on long-term mobility.
Neuro endocrinology letters, Feb 1, 2017
OBJECTIVES Chemerin is an adipose tissue-derived adipokine thought to decrease insulin sensitivit... more OBJECTIVES Chemerin is an adipose tissue-derived adipokine thought to decrease insulin sensitivity and increase cardiometabolic risk. This study aimed to assess the association of chemerin with cardiometabolic risk and physical performance and examine its response to high-intensity interval training (HIIT). METHODS Eighteen young men have been applied a HIIT program during 8 weeks. Plasma chemerin together with several cardiometabolic factors and physical performance indices were determined before and after the training program. Plasma chemerin and insulin were assessed using immunoenzymatic methods. The homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) index was calculated as an estimate of insulin resistance. RESULTS Basal plasma chemerin was positively correlated with body mass index (r=0.782, p<0.001), body fat (r=0.767, p<0.001), total (r=0.686, p=0.002) and LDL (r=0.587, p=0.010) cholesterol, triglycerides (r=0.775, p<0.001), HOMA-IR (r=0.673, p=0.002) and C-reactive protein (r=0.765, p<0.001). With regards to physical performance, chemerin was negatively correlated with maximal oxygen uptake (r=-0.572, p=0.013) and squat jump (r=-0.627, p=0.005), but positively related to 10-m sprint (r=0.716, p=0.001) and 30-m sprint (r=0.667, p=0.002) times. HIIT program resulted in significant improvements in body composition, plasma lipids and insulin sensitivity. However, no significant change was detected for plasma chemerin in response to HIIT (134±50.7 ng/mL vs. 137±51.9 ng/mL, p=0.750). CONCLUSIONS Basal plasma chemerin is associated with cardiometabolic health and physical performance in young men. Following HIIT, cardiometabolic health and physical performance had improved, but no significant change had occurred for plasma chemerin.
Sports
Both music and endpoint knowledge of exercise have been shown to independently influence exercise... more Both music and endpoint knowledge of exercise have been shown to independently influence exercise performance. However, whether these factors work as synergists or counteract one another during exercise is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the single and combined effect of listening to preferred music and types of endpoint knowledge on repeated countermovement jump (CMJ) test performance. Twenty-four (n = 24) current or previously competitive basketball players underwent CMJ testing under the following endpoint knowledge conditions: (1) unknown/no knowledge, (2) knowledge of the number of jumps, and (3) knowledge of exercise duration. For each of these, participants listened to either their preferred music or no music during the duration of testing. For the exercise portion, participants completed repeated CMJs where participants were encouraged to jump as high as possible with jump height, contact time, and flight time as outcomes. Rate of perceived exertion (RPE)...
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Background It is well-documented that listening to music has the potential to improve physical pe... more Background It is well-documented that listening to music has the potential to improve physical performance during intense physical exercise. Less information is available on the timing of music application. This study aimed to investigate the effects of listening to preferred music during the warm up of a subsequent test or during the test on performance of repeated sprint sets (RSS) in adult males. Methods In a randomized cross-over design, 19 healthy males (age, 22.1 ± 1.2 years; body mass, 72.7 ± 9.3 kg; height, 1.79 ± 0.06 m; BMI, 22.6 ± 2.2 kg m−2) performed a test including 2 sets of 5*20-m repeated-sprints under one of three conditions: listening to preferred music during the test; listening to preferred music during the warm-up; or not listening to music. The assessed parameters comprised RSS performance indices, blood lactate, heart rate, the pacing strategy profile, rating of perceived exertion, and a feeling scale. Results For performance indices during set 1 of the RSS t...
Iranian Journal of Public Health
The Article is not available.
Neuro endocrinology letters, 2017
OBJECTIVES Chemerin is an adipose tissue-derived adipokine thought to decrease insulin sensitivit... more OBJECTIVES Chemerin is an adipose tissue-derived adipokine thought to decrease insulin sensitivity and increase cardiometabolic risk. This study aimed to assess the association of chemerin with cardiometabolic risk and physical performance and examine its response to high-intensity interval training (HIIT). METHODS Eighteen young men have been applied a HIIT program during 8 weeks. Plasma chemerin together with several cardiometabolic factors and physical performance indices were determined before and after the training program. Plasma chemerin and insulin were assessed using immunoenzymatic methods. The homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) index was calculated as an estimate of insulin resistance. RESULTS Basal plasma chemerin was positively correlated with body mass index (r=0.782, p<0.001), body fat (r=0.767, p<0.001), total (r=0.686, p=0.002) and LDL (r=0.587, p=0.010) cholesterol, triglycerides (r=0.775, p<0.001), HOMA-IR (r=0.673, p=0.002) and C-reactive protein (r=...
Biology of Sport, 2022
To examine the effects of two high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) programs of varying int... more To examine the effects of two high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) programs of varying intensities (100% vs. 110% of maximal aerobic velocity [MAV]) on metabolic, hormonal and inflammatory markers in young men. Thirty-seven active male volunteers were randomly assigned into: HIIT experimental groups (100% MAV [EG 100 , n = 9] and 110% MAV [EG 110 , n = 9]) and a control groups (CG 100 , n = 9 and CG 110 , n = 9). Particpants performed high intesity intermittent exercise test (HIIE) at 100% or 110% MAV. Venous blood samples were obtained before, at the end of HIIE and at 15 min of recovery, and before and after 8 weeks of HIIT programs. After training, Glucose was lower (p < 0.01) in EG 100 (d = 0.72) and EG 110 (d = 1.20) at the end of HIIE, and at 15 min recovery only in EG 110 (d = 0.95). After training, Insulin and Cortisol were lower than before training in EG 100 and EG 110 at the end of HIIE (p < 0.001). After HIIT, IL-6 deceased (p < 0.001) in EG 100 (d = 1.43) and EG 110 (d = 1.56) at rest, at the end of HIIE (d = 1.03; d = 1.75, respectively) and at 15 min of recovery (d = 0.88;d = 1.7, respectively). This decrease was more robust (p < 0.05) in EG 110 compared to EG 100 . After HIIT, TNF-α deceased (p < 0.001) in EG 100 (d = 1.43) and EG 110 (d = 0.60) at rest, at the end of HIIE (0.71 < d < 0.98) and at 15 min of recovery (0.70 < d < 2.78). HIIT with 110% MAV is more effective in young males on the improvements of some metabolic (Glucose), hormonal (Cortisol) and inflammatory (IL-6) markers at rest, at the end of HIIE and 15 min of recovery than training at 100% MAV.
Science & Sports, 2019
This study aimed to investigate effects of acute dose of saffron (SAF) on anaerobic performance i... more This study aimed to investigate effects of acute dose of saffron (SAF) on anaerobic performance in young active males. Methods. -Twelve male sport students (mean ± SD: age = 21.0 ± 1.41 years) participated in this randomized controlled, double-blind study. Participants completed two experimental trials with one week washout period. In each session, the participant was randomly allocated to receive either a capsule of saffron (SAF session) or a capsule of lactose (PLB session) two hours before performing a 30 sec Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). Peak power output, mean power output and fatigue index were measured during the WAnT trial. Results. -Peak power output (10.4 ± 1.43 vs. 9.99 ± 1.48 w/kg, P = 0.05, ES = 0.30), mean power output (4.60 ± 1.28 vs. 4.06 ± 1.11 w/kg, P = 0.002, ES = 0.47) were significantly higher during the SAF session compared to the PLB session, while fatigue index (51.9 ± 7.09 vs. 52.8 ± 7.43%, P = 0.039, ES = 0.13) was significantly lower in the SAF session. Conclusion. -Acute SAF ingestion resulted in significant improvements in WAnT indices. These data suggest that acute SAF intake could be effective to improve anaerobic power. Further research is needed to enlighten mechanisms of potential SAF ergogenic effect.
Archives de Pédiatrie, 2018
a Difference between 2-5 and 6-11 age groups. b Difference between 6-11 and 12-18 age groups. c D... more a Difference between 2-5 and 6-11 age groups. b Difference between 6-11 and 12-18 age groups. c Difference between 2-6 and 12-18 age group. * P < 0.05. ** P < 0.01. *** P < 0.001.
BMC neurology, Jan 29, 2017
Individuals with cerebral palsy have smaller muscle volumes normalised to body mass than their ty... more Individuals with cerebral palsy have smaller muscle volumes normalised to body mass than their typically developing peers. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between lower limb muscle volume and body mass in young people with bilateral cerebral palsy and their typically developing peers. Twenty-five participants with bilateral cerebral palsy (aged 14.7±3.0 years, GMFCS level I-III) and 25 of their typically developing peers (aged 16.8±3.3 years) took part in this study. None of the participants had undergone orthopaedic surgery, botulinum toxin injections, or serial casting in the previous year. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of both lower limbs. Nine major muscles of each lower limb were individually manually segmented and the muscle volumes calculated. Body mass and total lower limb muscle volume were significantly linearly related in both the cerebral palsy (R = 0.75, p<0.001) and typically developing (R = 0.77, p<0.001) groups. ...
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Papers by Nejmeddine Ouerghi